1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input apparatus, an input method, an input control program, a reproduction apparatus, a reproduction control method, and a reproduction control program that allow a reproduction control to be quickly and accurately performed with a sensuous operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a video device used for a broadcasting station and a video soft production company, since editing operations need to be frequently changed while a reproduction screen is being checked, operation switches and dials need to be rotationally disposed on an operation panel and they need to be able to be sensuously operated. Thus, the video device needs to allow the operation switches and dials to be accurately operated to perform a reproduction control without need to watch them.
In a reproduction operation, reproduction speeds and reproduction directions are frequently controlled such as high speed reproduction, low speed reproduction, and frame-by-frame reproduction in the forward and reverse directions. While watching pictures that are reproduced, the user performs the reproduction control to search for pictures and designate edit points such as IN points and OUT points.
In the past, the reproduction speed and the reproduction direction were controlled by a dial operation. For example, a rotary encoder that outputs a value corresponding to a rotation angle was disposed on an operation panel. The reproduction direction and the reproduction speed were controlled corresponding to the rotation of the rotary encoder. Hereinafter, the rotary encoder that controls the reproduction speed and the reproduction direction is referred to as a jog dial. Of course, the jog dial can perform other controls using a rotation besides the reproduction speed and the reproduction direction.
The reproduction control using the jog dial can be categorized as a first mode in which the reproduction speed and the reproduction direction are varied corresponding to the rotation angle when the user releases his or her hand from the dial, the currently displayed frame is paused and a second mode in which the reproduction is continued at the speed and the direction corresponding to the rotation angle of the dial that is stopped. In the following description, the first mode is referred to as the jog mode. The second mode is referred to as the shuttle mode. The jog mode and the shuttle mode are alternately selected by operating an operation switch that is disposed separately. For example, International Publication No. WO98/27554 discloses an editing device that edits video data using the jog dial.